A survey of parental knowledge of vaccination

Rhim, Jung Woo; Kim, Chang Hwi; Lee, Won Bae; Kang, Jin Han

Abstract

PURPOSE: In this study, we created a questionnaire and collected answers concerning actual conditions of vaccination and parents' knowledge of vaccination issues, in order to find false knowledge of patients. We tried to give correct information and suggested the role of the pediatrician.
METHODS
We made questionnaires and collected answers from 466 parents from March 2004 to June 2004.
RESULTS
Places of vaccination were pediatric clinics(49.4 percent), health centers(27.7 percent), general/university hospitals(15.0 percent) and other clinics(4.9 percent). We found 38.8 percent of parents thought that the reason for vaccination at pediatric clinics was a belief of speciality, even though there is no difference in the vaccination itself. We also found 15.0 percent of parents thought that there were no differences between pediatricians and other physicians, but 52.0 percent of parents wanted to receive vaccination at pediatric clinics in the future. Our study also found that 62.4 percent of parents wanted to make out a preliminary questionnaire for vaccination. Many parents got vaccination information from vaccination record books(57.9 percent), and 52.6 percent of parents incorrectly believed that Hib vaccination could prevent all kinds of meningitis.
CONCLUSION
Our study suggests that pediatricians need to make efforts to give out correct information. It is necessary to use preliminary questionnaires for vaccination and correct vaccination information should be written on the vaccination record book. Also, there needs to be counselling with parents about weaning, growth and development at the time of vaccination, and to point out the differences between pediatricians and other physicians.